Circuit-controller.



A. J. HORTON CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATiON FILED FEB. 5. 1912..

1 ,25 6 ,800, Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. HORTON, 01? WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO THE CUTLER-HAMMER MFG. 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed February 5, 1912. Serial No. 675,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I',"ALBERT J. Honron, a citizen of the United States, residing at White Plains, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controllers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawin forming a part of this specification.

y invention relates to improvements in circuit controlling devices.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a simple but eliicient circuit controller wherein a plurality of contact members are controlled by a common electroma net.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will be hereinafter clearly and fully set forth.

For the purpose of disclosing the nature and advantages of my invention I shall describe the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing which embodies my invention in one form. My invention is not limited to the specific purpose of illustration.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a front view of the device and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of parts of the device shown in Fig. 1.

The device selected for the purpose of illustration is particularly adapted to use as an overload and underload circuit breaker or voltage relay. It should be understood however, that this device might be adapted to other uses.

The device includes two switches, 1 and 2, and a common controlling electromagnet 3 all mounted upon a suitable insulating panel 4.

The switch 1 comprises a lever 5 pivoted intermediate of its ends to the upper end of an elongated supporting member 6 suitably secured to the panel 4. The lever 5 is pre erably pivoted to the right of its center so that its left hand ortion will ovcrbalance the right hand portion and accordingly tend to move downwardly from the position illustrated. This movement of the lever 5 is limited by an adjustable stop screw 7 threaddevice selected for the preferably pivoted ed into a post 8 secured to the base 4:. At its left hand extremity the lever 5 carries a contact plate 9 preferably secured thereto by a bolt 10. The plate 9 is preferably insulated from the lever 5. This insulation of the two parts may be accomplished by any preferred means such as an insulating plate 12 interposed between the late 9 of the lever and an insulatin was er 13 interposed between the nut o the bolt 10 and the lever 5. The shank of the bolt may either be surrounded by insulation or merely spaced from the walls of the opening in the lever through which it passes. Cooperating with the contact plate 9 ares'tationary contact brushes 14 and 15 referably obliquely disposed as illustrate The brushes 14 and 15 are mounted upon an insulating block 16 secured to the panel 4:. Each brush is secured to the block 16 by a bolt 17, said bolts constituting binding posts for connecting the brushes in circuit. The brushes are electrically independent of one another and are adapted to be bridged and electrically connected by the contact 'plate 9 when moved into engagement therewith. The brushes are so disposed relatively to the lever that when the lever rests u on the stop screw 7, contact will be broken etween the plates 9 and said brushes. The lever 5 and supporting member '6 are for a purpose hereinafter set forth preferably formed of magnetic material.

The switch 2 comprises a lever 18 fulcrumed at its ri hthand extremity to the lower end of the supporting member 6. This lever is provided with a contact plate and cooperatln contact brushes identical with those of t e switch 1. The lever 18 unlike the lever 5 is biased in a direction to cause its contact plate to en age and bridge its contact brushes. It is iased in such a direction by a helical spring 19 interposed between the same and a post 20 secured to the panel 4.

The lever 18 is adapted to be actuated to break circuit by a lever 21. The lever 21 is concentrically with lever 18 and provided with bifurcated portions 22 carrying a block 23 adapted to en age the upper side of the lever 18. The rig t hand portion of the lever 21 overbalances the left hand portion thereof and accordingly tends to drop against an adjustable stop screw 21 threaded into a post 25 secured to the panel 1. The levers 18 and 21 are so related that when the latter rests against the stop screw 21 the block 23 carried thereby will be held at a distance from the lever 18. Thus if lever 21 be quickly moved it will impart a hammer like blow to the lever 18 to disengage the same from its coiiperating contact brushes.

The magnet 3 is mounted between the right hand ends of the levers 5 and 21. It is supported between magnetic plates 26 and 27 suitably secured to the panel 1. The magnetic plates 26 and 27 form pole pieces for the magnet 3 while the levers 5 and 21 form armatures for the magnet adapted to be attracted to said pole pieces. The supporting member 6 being of magnetic material and being connected to both armature levers 5 and 21 forms a part of the magnetic circuit of the magnet 3. The magnetic circuit of the magnet extends from one pole through one of the levers thence through the supporting member 6 and the other lever to the opposite pole.

In operation when the magnet is energized suiiiciently to attract its armature lever 5, the contact plate 9 carried by said lever is moved into engagement with the contact brushes 1st and 15 thereby completing circuit between said brushes. lVhen the magnet is sutiicicntly dcenergized to release the armature lever 5 said lever rocks to disengage the plate 9 from the contacts 11 and 15.

When the magnet 3 is sutiiciently energized to attract its armature lever 21 said lever is rocked causing the block 23 carried thereby to strike the lever 18 moving the same downwardly to disengage its contact plate from its cooperating contact brushes. This breaks circuit between said brushes. The momentum acquired by the lever 21 during the initial part of its movement causes the block 23 carried thereby to strike the lever 18 with a hammer-like blow causing a quick disengagement of its contacts. The magnetic pull on the armature 21 as is well understood by those skilled in the art increases as the lever approaches the pole piece 27. Accordingly by the time that the block 23 of the lever 21 engages the lever 18 the magnetic pull will be sutliciently strong to quickly move the lever 18 to full open position. Thus the lever 18 is given a hammer-like blow to separate its contacts and is then quickly moved to full open position. This insures a uniform pressure between the contacts so long as the same are in engagement and further insures a quick disruption of any are formed between the switch contacts when separated.

By adjusting the air gap between the armature levers and their respective pole pieces the scnsitivcncss of the switches to positive variations in the attractive force at the magnet may be regulated at will. By limiting the movement of the armature levers toward the r respective pole pieces their sensitiveness to negative variations in the attractive force of the magnet may also be regulated at will. The former regulation may be readily accomplished by adjustment of the stop screws 7 and 24 of the armature lovers 5 and 21 respectively. The latter regulation may be readily accomplished by adjustment of screws 28 and 29 threaded through the armature levers 5 and 21 respectively to engage the pole pieces. Obviously the two levers may be adjusted to operate under the same or different electrical conditions in the magnet.

The device illustrated might be used for a number of ditterent purposes, for example, it might be used as an overload and underload circuit breaker. When so used the switch 1 would be normally held closed. Then in case of an underload the magnet would release the lever 5 causing the switch 1 to open. The switch 2 would also be normally closed and upon an overload would be opened by the magnet. The magnet might be arranged to respond either to voltage or current variations.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as tollows:--

1. In a circuit controlling device. in combination. coorerating switch contacts, operating members for certain of said contacts mounted substantially in parallelism, one of said operating members being magnetic and biased to open circuit position, the other operating member being biased to closed cir cuit position. a magnetic member substantially parallel with said last mentioned member and having a lug for imparting a hammer blow thereto, a magnetic support substantially at right angles to said parallel members. said members being pivoted to said support and electromagnetic means for actuating said magnetic members.

2. In a circuit controlling device. in combination, an electromagnetic Winding, amagnctic support mounted in parallel relation with the axis thereof. cooperating pairs of switch con acts, substantially parallel operating members for certain of said con tacts pivoted upon opposite ends of said support at right angles thereto, one of said members being magnetic and biased to open circuit position, the other operating member being biased to closed circuit position. a magnetic member pivoted concentrically with said last mentioned operating memner substantiall parallel therewith and having a lug-spaced from said operating member to a impart. :1 hammer blow thereto upon movement of the former, said pivoted magnetic members projecting upon opposite ends 01 said winding for selective actuation there by under predetermined electrical condi tions.

T1 i wiIt-"n 'k-:.- whereof. I have hei'eunio subscribed my name. in the presence of ave Wit nesses.

ALBERT J. HORTON.

Witnesses J. C. VALENTINE, W. L. CULLY. 

